# Party 898 Varnished



## Lamar (Dec 12, 1997)

I was gifted an 02 898 Varnished from Fredster that was incredible. Rich, full and complex with just a few years of box time.

I am of the opinion that this blend is richer than the 02 Shorts and has more aging potential than the vaunted Short. Agree?


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

I'll let you know after this weekend. I think I am finally going to break up the bundle on my box after letting it sit for two years. LOOKS, SMELLS and FEELS like it's gonna be a weiner....er winner. I hate to break up a box without another in reserve, but I think one box of 898V's is all I am going to have this decade. I have put the brakes on my spending habit. So why not just smoke what you've got.


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## mr.c (Apr 8, 2004)

agree, though I dont think they are anything close to a short. Great stick!


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## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

I think the 898V is more complex than the Short. 
The Short has more strength however. 

2 great sticks, just 2 different worlds, mainly due to size. 
Both are a must in my humi.
.
Fred has also shared one from that great batch with me. 
Hats off to Fred.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

Bruce5 said:


> I think the 898V is more complex than the Short.
> The Short has more strength however.
> 
> 2 great sticks, just 2 different worlds, mainly due to size.
> ...


I'm about to grab some 898V the other week actualy I been thinking to try this cigar it's just I'm not into small ring gauge. But after hearing so many good things about this Vitola, I will give it try. 
Salud!


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## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

pinoyman said:


> I'm about to grab some 898V the other week actualy I been thinking to try this cigar it's just I'm not into small ring gauge. But after hearing so many good things about this Vitola, I will give it try.
> Salud!


.
I would take this cigar over any *regular* production robusto out there.
Just my taste/opinion.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

Bruce5 said:


> .
> I would take this cigar over any *regular* production robusto out there.
> Just my taste/opinion.


Yah Mon, I'm gone, Ooops! 1:35am Okay! tomorrow I will get this Vitola Bruce5.  :w

Salud Amigo!


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## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

Can't wait to hear your thoughts.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

898V a small ring gauge?

Ask Bruce 5 about smaller ring gauge cigars....he has seen the light!


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## hollywood (Feb 15, 2005)

I had been looking into these recently, but wasn't sure if I should. What is the difference in the Varnished cab and unvarnished? As far as quality of the cigar goes.


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## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

Bruce said:


> 898V a small ring gauge?
> 
> Ask Bruce 5 about smaller ring gauge cigars....he has seen the light!


.
I have seen the light, but Bruce opened the blinds.


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## KlicK (Feb 1, 2005)

Bruce said:


> 898V a small ring gauge?
> 
> Ask Bruce 5 about smaller ring gauge cigars....he has seen the light!


I used to smoke large ring gauge cigars almost exclusively, but have really shifted to Coronas, PC's and TPC's lately. With age these vitolas (among other small ring gauge cigars) can be amazing! I guess I too have seen the light!


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## Brandon (Dec 11, 1997)

Shorts are a great cigar, but they just can't be compared to the 898 V. The 898 is much more complex. 

I have some 98's that were fantastic. I smoked some when they were about 4 years old. At that point, they were extremely rich and spicy.... full bodied w/o any harshness. I tried another one after a little more age, and it seemed to have lost it's power. I haven't tried another one since about 2 years ago. I'll have to dig one up soon. Hopefully it was just that one cigar that was less than full bodied.


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## ilikecigars (Mar 24, 2003)

both the 898 and shorts are wonderful vitolas...yummy!
the partagas short in my opinion doesnt age as well...they taste great fresh but loose something getting milder after age..the 898 on the other hand does age well in my opinion, i have a box from 96 that is simply wonderful right now.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

Bruce5 said:


> Can't wait to hear your thoughts.


Here's my thoughts Amigo, This Afternoon I went to my cigar shop (can't wait since morning) the guys are busy smoking like hell, Carlos smoking one of his custom rolled Cigar one of them I think it's a Monte Edmundo ( smells like it) Rick one of the manager as usual BBF, then I start chating with Juan the other manager about 898V, he just grabed two of those cigar, He said he been thinking about smoking one of this.
when I start to light the cigar, you can start smelling a cuban cigar right away and i know that it'll be a very promissing one. We all sat outside the shop while watching Carlos rolling cigars and talking all kind of foolishness.
Next thing I know is I'm enjoying this Cigar a lot, the taste is so complex to my surprise and earthy tone and woodyness is something not easy to described, I know it's not SD4 but something else. It's from the box of 03 by the way, it burnt concistently not a problem. For me, It's like a cross breed of Monte 2 and SD4 with a little twist. I don't know why only now that I tried this Vitola, I will recomend this also to all Aficionados and I'm sure they will love this Vitola. Thank you for introdusing me to a Vitola that I've been ignoring for a while. Bruce, Bruce5 a big SALUD for the two of you.


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## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

de nada!


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

That's it, tomorrow, it burns. I yanked one out of the bundle to take a picture of it. Now I gotta smoke it...BTW Hollywood, the varnished is considered the better cigar, but does not smoke too well early on in it's life. But I am going to light an OCT02 Friday night. I have no prior exp. with this cigar.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> That's it, tomorrow, it burns. I yanked one out of the bundle to take a picture of it. Now I gotta smoke it...BTW Hollywood, the varnished is considered the better cigar, but does not smoke too well early on in it's life. But I am going to light an OCT02 Friday night. I have no prior exp. with this cigar.


Ouch! that hurts Amigo. I think the hardest part of having or collecting a whole box is to smoke the first one... but after that, Solo Fumalo! ( just smoke it) :w  

Salud!


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## hollywood (Feb 15, 2005)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> That's it, tomorrow, it burns. I yanked one out of the bundle to take a picture of it. Now I gotta smoke it...BTW Hollywood, the varnished is considered the better cigar, but does not smoke too well early on in it's life. But I am going to light an OCT02 Friday night. I have no prior exp. with this cigar.


I was recently passed a '98. Had a bit of foot damage from the trip, but looks SO good. Another few days of settling and it's INFERNO time!


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## AAlmeter (Dec 31, 1999)

898V hands down over the short. I also had a couple '98s (unfortunately, theyre gone now), and Im getting sick of Shorts (grabbed a boatload a year or two ago when they were on sale). I think I will have to grab some 898s this summer when I have money again to refresh my tastebuds.


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## pinokio (Feb 7, 2005)

I´m into the shorter ones as well but after reading this (drooling) I´ve already added the 898 to my next try out list.

Regards


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## Fredster (Jan 26, 2004)

Hands down, I would take a 898V over a short anyday. It's just as full, but much more complex. Lamar, glad you liked it. The 898 Unvarnished is nowhere near as good or full. I've found the 898 V to be a pretty consistant cigar, but I did get a box of 10 recently that taste off. Could be just sick. I know there is a lot of opinions about wrappers making a taste difference or not, I honestly don't know for sure. I will say that the lighter wrappered 898's I've had were much better than the darker ones.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

Okay Aficionados, so much about 898V! everybody lets go and have an *"898V Herfing Day"* :w

Salud!


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

Well, I smoked it within hours of getting home last night, and I guess it would have been better if I had waited, but there was no way that was going to happen. It lit well, burned extremely straight, and was from the first puff, a smoke producing GIANT and obviously made with first class tobacco lol (MRN).
It was not as flavorful as a short, and paralelled the Lusitania fairly well. Towards the end, it began to taste like a PSD4 with a creamy, twangy, yeasty profile. I think this cigar is in some kind of transition in depth of flavor so I will not go back for a year. But it also demonstrates the well known trait in this vitola, to be VERY different in it's various stages of smoking development. This was a good cigar, but right now I would rather have a short, a PSD4 or a Lusitania. So I will let it rest, but it was still a top notch cigar for what it was last night. Just not ready to enjoy yet.

Plus, I HAVE GOT to quit smoking this weekend. I have a feeling that there are great cigars in my humidor, but I cannot taste the nuances bacause I have burnt out my buds. But boy, there are some flavors that shine, thankfully the twang. It's just gotta happen. I am not wasting good cigars on bad buds.


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## pinoyman (Jan 28, 2005)

One Lonely Smoker, Oct 02 is pretty good aged Amigo, well I don't know about the 898V, Bruce5 just intoduced this vitola to me and it was an 03 and smoked good. well you're an isom smoker, I guess I'll grab another box for aging.

Salud!


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

I mean, you are right! IT IS hard to break a bundle like that one, BUT the worst part is someone in the jungle who will remain nameless skanked 3 of them from me right after this whole thread. Now I only have 21. Enjoy them whoever you are, ya bastid.  :u  .No, seriously, enjoy them.


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